Toriko

"Cooking is as masculine as judo, kickboxing or tae kwan do. Anyone can fight but it takes a special man to craft the perfect Bolognese sauce"
Quoted from a manly midget chef...

You know the first thing that crossed my mind when I read that quote was covering a cow with ketchup then proceed to pound the cow into bolognese sauce.
Im just kidding of course, that isn't call MANLY... that's called animal abuse...

So chances are if you stumble upon this anime, you're not watching it just to fill up your boring life with some boring junk. No.. You hunt for exotic food on a daily basis. ... And you need an anime that teaches you the RIGHT way to do it...
Well, introducing Toriko, the only anime currently airing that will not only satisfy that hunger urge but will also teach you how to be more MANLY than you were before.

What would you say if I said that World Peace could be obtain if everyone in the world combined their powers to produced the most delicious full course menu in the universe?
You would probably say "BURRRRRP!!" Cause that's how the end of World Hunger sounds like. Now all that's left is the homeless people.

(Now people, feeding the homeless to the hungry would solve those two world problems, but we wouldn't want to resort to cannibalism now do we?)

Let's see how this anime can be used to solve other problems?

Problem (Art)
So you just opened up an art gallery and you're not raking any cash because an art gallery is partially a public good. (No duh..)
Solution:
Open up a mini restaurant in your gallery. Watch Toriko (especially the one piece crossover) and get inspiration on drawing animals which apparently looks like it had sex with food and produced offspring. Make your visitors hungry and they'll pay a visit to your mini restaurant for brunch. Problem solved
Toriko has a huge variety of animal species, though not as much as Pokemon which has a total of 600++ up to date, but at least some of them are edible and each is designed with it's own unique features. The artwork for Toriko is similar to One Piece. If you like One Piece, then you definitely would love this. If you like Two Piece then go to the toilet... *crickets* Yeah, yeah lame joke... pfft...

Problem (Sound)
So you work with a bunch of unmotivated voice actors who does english dubs for an anime.
And they sound horrible (more than usual anyways)
Solution:
Get them to watch Toriko. The seiyuus for this anime are top notch. They portray their character well in the anime. It's like the directors forced the seiyuus to starve during the recording to make them sound like a bunch of hungry men. What can I say about the opening? One word... "GATSU!!" No seriously, it's like getting your guts punched with a thousand fists of manliness.

Problem (Character)
So you have a son, and he's a wimp. Nothing wrong about that, but he is due to national service soon. And you don't want the other kids to bully him.
Solution:
Get him to watch Toriko. Make him into a man. Toriko is an exampled role model.He says his prayers before and after eating his meal. How often do you see people say their grace before they eat? Not only that, Toriko only kills animals that he deems worthy to be eaten. He does not just willy nilly kill any of God's creation. Only a REAL man could do that.
For every manly character, there will have to be a less manly guy to enhance the manliness of the main character.
For Batman, there is Robin. For Sherlock Holmes, there is Dr. Watson. In this case, for Toriko, there is Komatsu. Komatsu has his own set of special culinary abilities that furthur compliments Toriko's manliness. If Toriko was the fork and spoon, Komatsu is probably the condiments.
What about the wimpy son problem?
Heck, just show the government his MAL profile that he is currently watching "Toriko" He'll be exempted for life.
In fact, "Toriko" isn't really an anime.
The German government classified "Toriko" as "Handbuch für Männlichkeit"
Translation, Handbook for masculinity. Yeah, everything sounds manlier in German.

The only problem about this anime is that it was further degraded from its masculinity compared to the manga due to a significant degree of censorship. Lower your hopes for gore and blood. On the bright side, with the absence of graphic violence, how kids who haven't hit puberty can watch the anime and start training the the path of manliness...

Overall, as proven above, watching Toriko solves a whole tons of problems. I give this anime a rating of 8. Cause that's the number of packs you'll have after watching this anime. Yes, that's right, 8 packs! One more pack and you can play tick-tack-toe on your abs. How awesome is that? Not as awesome as Toriko though. Tough luck kiddo.

WARNING: In my Review I go on tangents, but that's just the way I roll because I like barbeque sauce on my chicken nuggets. And don't you forget it.

There are two reasons that I watch anime:

1) I want to see something with depth that is intellectually stimulating where the characters and story weave a fascinating tale with twists and turns. One Anime that did this for me was Kaiji.

2) I just want to relax and experience an enjoyable adventure with a memorable cast of characters. In this category I mostly look for the theme and eye candy (meaning the quality of the art).

I watch Toriko ... for the second reason.

I actually tried watching Toriko when it first came out and didn't like it. With this season being one of the worst seasons of anime for me I decided to give Toriko another chance. And I am REALLY glad that I did.

Summary/Review:
Toriko takes place during the "Gourmet Age" where food is not merely a delicacy but also a sought after commodity. In this world rare and exquisite food exists and is often extremely hard to attain. There are two main factions, the IGO, (which are a bunch of Gourmet Hunters) and an evil group (Bishikokai or something like that) who desire to control the food supply because food is essentially power.

Characters 8/10
Not the best characters nor the most memorable. However, they do have their moments and grow on you.

Story 9/10
Hilarious. It's about food, and food is power.

Visuals 10/10
Looks awesome. Nice fight scenes.

Misc. 10/10
I love the pacing and feel that almost every episode gives me my money's worth rather than feeling cheated and held at gunpoint like with many other Anime.


Random Thoughts/Comparisons:
I thought One Piece was good. Then I later realized I liked Fairy Tail better. The reason I like Fairy Tail better is because, while very similar, it does not suffer as much from "Dragon Ball Z syndrome". One Piece just takes soooo long to get its point across and it drags on and on. It's awesome but the lengthening just dilutes what could be greatness and it's frustrating.

Then I realized I like Toriko better than Fairy Tail. While Fairy Tail's pacing is good, Toriko's pacing is phenomenal. It doesn't drag out arcs. It moves fast and leaves you wanting more rather than hanging for weeks on end (like One Piece).

Toriko is stereotypical. It's almost how Dragon Ball Z would be if it centered around food and had ridiculously enjoyable pacing. As a matter of fact, Toriko is what I always wished Dragon Ball Z had been.


Conclusion:
The art is beautiful and imaginative. Some of the monsters are huge and give off vibes of epicness. It's just such an enjoyable Anime to chill back and watch. Turn your brain off and just enjoy mindless action with its beautiful visuals. If you try and take it seriously you will definitely not enjoy it. But if you don't take it seriously you are truly in for a full course meal...

P.S.
I usually don't care to write reviews but I hope that a few people read this and give Toriko a chance because it doesn't get the credit it deserves. I was one of the many who overlooked this gem.

If Komatsu ends up getting Gourmet Cells I will say this is the best Anime ever!

WARNING: Anime doesn't cover all of the manga. Toriko is a series where MANLY MEN have gritty fights against villains & monsters for the sake of heroism & food.

Many people have told me how much they hated the anime & prefer reading its manga, which is fine but I'm here to give my honest opinions about the animes pros & cons.

Toriko's concept is one of hunting & cooking where our heroes "The 4 Heavenly Kings" (Toriko, Coco, Sunny & Zebra) explore the unknown lands of the Gourmet Age where exotic food stimulates power resulting into a war which purpose is to obtain "GOD"; the ... most sacred dish on the planet.

As a story, Toriko slowly builds up into hype moments where strength is taken to gargantuan levels & takes careful consideration of minor details which later deliver in the payoff in both exposition & combat. Most arcs can range from exploring, fighting or just eating which can vary per viewer but thankfully there aren't any major filler arcs that affect the overall story. (Most of them just range from stand alones or 2 eps)

Similar to Dragon Ball & One Piece, Toriko carries that same adventurous feel & welcomes its viewer into a imaginative world filled with unique animals & technology. A highlight of the series are its subtle references to Fist of The North Star with Toriko, Coco & Zebra being based on Kenshiro, Toki & Raoh among other things.

As expected of battle shonens the series does deliver on fights sadly most of these battles do contain watered down violence. This is the main reason why most people just ignore the anime yet the adaptation serves better as a gateway due to its few crossovers with One Piece along with its soundtrack & usage of atmosphere in either the laid back scenes or the intense ones.

Flaws of the anime include its later decrease in animation quality around the 100s & the filler ending to the series as the manga is still ongoing. Also I'm certain characters such as Komatsu & Tina will affect viewing experience in a negative way. While I suggest to do what you think is better (watching or reading) please give the series a chance as it was only recently in 2013 where people began to become fans of the series. While some scenes can feel dragged & its food concept ridiculous, don't forget that even Dragon Ball pokes fun in itself due its name choices (such as Trunks, Dr. Briefs, Tambourine, Drum & Piano).

Don't let misconceptions affect your judgement as you may end up liking the series whether you watch or read it. Toriko is not the greatest series but does pay tribute to shonens of the 80s & 90s where it follows a straight forward story that offers imagination, gritty battles, monstrous villains & heroic characters.

Most people have told me they find the idea of Toriko to be stupid. After first, I had my doubts. "How could a show about cooking have made its way up the latter in SJ?"

Oh boy, was I in for a ride.

The best thing about this show, it combines old style fighting anime with a twist. The daily fight to find something new and exciting to tempt your tastebuds! The idea is probably one of the most original ideas I have ever seen. The exaction is well done and absolutely hilarious as I find myself laughing and cheering at every turn.

Biggest issue seems to ... be the character designs. I'm sorry but, I adore them! I love the hideously eyesore like costumes and the ridiculous hair! My favorite character is Sunny and he's the most ridiculous of all! I think it as a fun edge to the show.

In fact, I love the whole cast! From the ever hungry and cheerful Toriko, the curious and skillful Komatsu, the kind and gentlemanly Coco, the determined Tina, the cute and loyal Terry, the outgoing and passionate Rin, and, of course, the Beauty freak with a straight forward, self-centered nature, Sunny!

Its seriously the most colorful (and I mean that both figuratively and literally) cast of characters I've come across.

What can I say? I thoroughly enjoy certainly made a fan out of me! I plan to keep watching!

Okay, so to start I originally watched the first 20ish episodes of Toriko a couple years ago but then put it down because it just wasn't that appealing to me. Two weeks ago I decided to pick up the manga because I heard it was better than the anime. Still skeptical I powered past what happened in the anime, in the manga. After that, it was all downhill for me.

I read through over 300 chapters of Toriko in a week. The characters and progressing story had me going through dozens of chapters a day. While the concept of a food world/combat may be a ... turn off for some, Toriko utilizes this to a high degree making each arc dynamic and different. I would highly recommend anyone to read this shonen. And I also recommend people to stay away from the anime because of the inconstancies between the show and manga, lack of brutality (edited out for child viewers), and also length. The anime only goes up to the Gourmet Festival.

I am really enjoying Toriko and I feel it still has its best work ahead of it!

PLEASE READ THE MANGA!!! And if you do watch the anime first, then watch it, then pick up the manga. I promise you it is totally worth it.

A somewhat familiar anime to audiences of the One Piece journey. With that being said, "somewhat" is the keyword.

The story, is simply juicy and riveting. Similar to One Piece, Toriko is made up of an immensely gargantuan world filled with many surprises, wonders, and mysteries.

The art is on par with any modern era Japanese anime. The emphasis and exaggeration on the food (especially "key" food items) is mouth watering. You'll soon find yourself engulfed in a sparkling, tender, and juicy piece of prime rib. The environment and color of the anime is beautiful and breathtaking at times.

The sound, is decent. The OP and ... ED could be much better as the music is not very catchy.

The characters, need to develop more. I know the anime is called "Toriko" but I don't feel a close bond with any of the characters yet. With that being said, the story has A LOT of room to develop so they have plenty of time to fix this issue.

Pros - Food is very well detailed and exaggerated (in a good way of course :D). World is vast which makes room for a HUGE adventure and a LONG lasting series. The art and environment is absolutely beautiful!

Cons - Character development/connection not there (may take some time, be patient), awkward fight scenes (if you are used to Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece fight scenes you may be disappointed, but bear in mind this anime does not fail on some cool combat moves in here), OP and ED need to go.

Overall, if you love food and a world filled with mysterious creatures, give this anime a shot!
8 out of 10.

If you like food... and like watching tv shows about food... this anime is for you, despite 99% of the food in this anime not existing my stomach growls every time I watch Toriko... and before I know it I have my face in a tray of Nacho's HA!
Toriko will take you on what is best described as a laid back gourmet adventure and you will love every minute of it... WARNING: make sure you have plenty of food on hand ;)

Toriko is one of those shows where there's nothing too deep going on, but it's just a blast to watch. The story largely revolves around the eponymous Toriko, a "Gourmet Hunter" that battles monsters and a chef named Komatsu that cooks the monsters Toriko defeats into delicious food, which then makes Toriko even stronger. It's a very action-forward series, as one might expect from a WSJ adaptation. Most episodes feature at least one battle and most problems are solved with fists.

A key to why the series remains mostly entertaining throughout in spite of that frankly braindead approach to things is frequent action combined with strong ... pacing. Even longer story arcs like Ice Hell and Cooking Fest generally don't suffer from the pacing problems that shows of this type often deal with. Progress markers are clearly staked out throughout the series and Toriko becomes meaningfully stronger throughout the events of the story without succumbing to shounen power creep. The story largely avoids the problem of "Oh no, Toriko must fight the most invincible enemy ever!" -> "Toriko wins" -> "Toriko must now fight an even more invincible-r enemy!" by keeping things grounded and parceling out progression to its characters in the right amounts. This might seem like an esoteric dive into the finer points of outlining and planning a series, but it's a key reason that show remains compulsively watchable even after 150 episodes.

There is also a certain zany energy to the entire thing that I would hesitate to describe as "funny", but is entertaining nonetheless. There aren't really that many jokes as such, it's more about the inherent absurdity of everything in this series and the attempts to construct a plot around that insanity. For example, the main goal for the characters in the series is to, and I swear I'm not making this up, find and eat God, which will give them "control over all the world's ingredients". At no point do they give any sort of explanation for what this could possibly mean, and it ends up being funnier for having never been explained in even the vaguest terms, even as it becomes increasingly important to the plot as the series progresses. That sort of "just go with it" attitude is ever-present in the worldbuilding, where almost everything is named in the laziest possible way (almost all proper nouns in the series are "Gourmet [thing]"; Gourmet Age, Gourmet Hunters, Gourmet Eclipse, Gourmet Cells, just to name a few) and there are no attempts at reconciling most things or events in the series with any sort of logical reality. This will either drive you insane or become progressively funnier the further you get into the series, depending on how seriously you attempt to take it.

I also want to briefly take a moment here to shout out series narrator Kenjiro Ishimaru, who delivers some delightfully hammy narration in the food pun segments that precede each episode. Don't skip these, they're one of the best parts of the show!

There are, however, a few things from the series to take issue with. The animation is more functional than impressive, in keeping with the demands of producing weekly television for 3 years without a break. There are a handful of more impressive episodes scattered throughout (episode #22 from future One Piece series director Kouhei Kureta is a particular highlight), but the animation is not strong as a consistent rule and there are sometimes noticeable dips in quality. While there are some positive things to mention about the look of the series (the strong, creative monster designs coming most readily to mind), the overall visual aspect grades out to below average, which is sometimes disappointing when you want a highly anticipated fight to wow you with some sakuga and it turns out to be pretty basic instead.

The series is also a continuation of a longstanding and unfortunate shounen trend of marginalizing its female characters. Only 2 female characters have a significant role in the story; Tina, a newscaster joke character that mostly exists to commentate on action, and Rin, whose entire personality is "head over heels in love with an indifferent Toriko". While there is a certain "buff dudes being manly" vibe to this series that makes it harder to comfortably fit female characters in, there was clearly no effort made here. Unfortunate, though not a dealbreaker.

Overall, it's certainly not without its flaws, but it makes for a fun over-the-top action series that balances its story well and rarely suffers from the problems of "filler" or other dips in narrative quality that often accompany long runners. My recommendation to those interested would be to give it a try through the "Regal Mammoth" arc (roughly 2 cours worth of episodes) to get a sense of the variety that it brings in terms of shorter bits mixed in with longer and more involved story arcs, and decide to drop or continue after that point. The first episode, a One Piece crossover, is also skippable both in terms of relevance to the story (there is none) and quality (bad unless you really like One Piece).

GUTS ! GUTS GUTS ! GUTS GUTS !

As toriko became one of my favorite anime, I had to write a review to explain why.

Imagine a world, much more bigger than earth, that seems endless, where you can find an infinite number of natural cooking's ingredients. Some of them are very rare and valuable, and that's why, there are people whose job is to hunt them.

We often follow toriko and komatsu (a boy whose dream is to become one of the best cook in the world) in their epic adventures to find and ingredient. It could as well be a terrifying and powerful monster or ... small mushroom that live in a place very hard to reach. Every arcs is surprising and imaginative.

The plot is simple, no headache to understand here, but very interesting and original. A world where cooking is much more important than everything else. Famous people are cooks, even the government is involved in foods, restaurants, ingredients, cooking tv show...etc

Toriko follow the shonen's rules. He become much more stronger in each episode, and is able to hunt ingredients of higher quality.

Colored graphics are beautifull. Most of the time, the story take place in natural environment. You'll feel like traveling.

This anime is really addictive.

Gochisousama deshita :)

Honestly if you watch this without thinking too much about it you well get a pretty normal shonen anime. The only character I have too much of a problem with is Komatsu, as alot of people say.

Now, he is not a detestable character and I do not loathe him, although I do hate incompetence he displays at times. However I do believe that they should have made Komatsu a women, this would have drastically changed the dynamic of the story and probably have made it better.

Now, I read somewhere that the author had intended at first to make Komatsu a woman, but in doing so ... would create a reverse harem, because of the time she would spend with Toriko and his brothers. However I still believe that would have been the better choice for it would have changed the dynamic of the entire show making a female Komatsu a love interest for Toriko.

Other than that, everything was fine, it wasn't AMAZING, but it was average at best, and there is plenty of action as well. I thought it was alirght, it is worth watching so yeah.

So... We have food and fighting.Some people may think food fight but they are way off.This anime by "Shimabukuro Mitsutoshi" delivers a wide range of combinations and flavor that is hard to imagine.However once you do,you're ready to jump into battle with the characters just to try and sneak a bite of the overwhelming varieties of food."Toriko" ended up being the first food anime i watched,after episode 1 i had to show people so i called up some friends.We started the first episode and didn't stop until 15 or so,from that point we watched it every time we hung out.The story was easily captivating enough ... to keep us entertained and wanting more.The fights gradually get better and better as it goes.All around "Toriko" is a fun and memorable crowd pleasing anime,that is of course if you like "DBZ""One piece" mixed with food.As "Funimation" says,you should be watching. Warning this anime may make you hungry,even if you're full!!!

Toriko is one those Shonen battle anime like DBZ, Naruto, One piece, Bleach, etc... But whats makes this different this series is that the mayor point in the story is to eat food to gain more power, to be more accurate the main characters have this thing call gourmet cell inside their bodies that certain food will give them power up's when eaten. The main character are these gourmet hunters that travel around the world founding good food to eat, sometimes they have to fight monsters, other time they have to fight the environment and there time that they fight with other humans. The sound ... and the animation are really good with this anime is no master piece but it has it moments when you see a really good food that will make you hungry just by looking at it. I will recommend anyone who loves Shonen battle anime to give this one a go, but be ware this anime continue in the manga.